White-Collar / Corporate Crime

Our specialist white collar crime team advise on engagement with regulators, fraud investigations, corporate fraud and the defence of criminal prosecutions. We have advised and represented boards, senior management and employees involved investigations carried out by regulatory bodies in Ireland and abroad. Within this jurisdiction we have advised clients being investigated by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE), the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigations (GBFI), the Central Bank, the Competition Authority, the Revenue Commissioners and the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB).

A criminal investigation can cause severe reputation damage and we seek to provide clear and concise advice from the outset until the conclusion of proceedings (if any). Our team are specialists in the following areas:

advice on the civil, criminal and regulatory implications of breaching various laws

money laundering

trans jurisdictional criminal investigations

making reports to regulatory agencies

corporate reputation

bribery and corruption

defending prosecutions in the District and Circuit and Criminal Courts

fraudulent trading

advising on extradition/potential extradition requests

In 2014, the firm defended two of the three accused persons in Ireland’s most publicised white collar crime trial. The “Anglo trial” involved volumes of disclosure unprecedented in an Irish criminal trial, in a specialised area of law which has been a departure for the Irish criminal law system.The trial lasted 51 days, and was the culmination of years of preparation. This was the first criminal prosecution of offences contrary to section 60 of the Companies Act in the State and involved novel and complex arguments on areas of strict and absolute liability, the right to rely on legal advice and the taking of depositions. It was the first trial in which a 15 person jury was empanelled, provided for by statute expressly for the purpose of this and subsequent similar trials.

The company is currently preparing for a number of further trials arising from the collapse of Anglo Irish Bank.

The firm was nominated at the 2015 Irish Law Awards for "Litigation Case of the Year" in respect of the "Anglo Trial" - DPP v FitzPatrick, Whelan and others.

The firm was again nominated at the 2016 Irish Law Awards for "Litigation Case of the Year" in respect of the "Anglo Trial" - DPP v O Mahoney and others.